Take over surplus land from LG Polymers, Andhra government urged

VISAKHAPATNAM: Former Union energy secretary EAS Sarma has urged the State government to take over the ceiling surplus land under the occupation of LG Polymers company at RR Venkatapuram. 
In a letter written to Chief Secretary Nilam Sawhney, he said the government had lost the case in 2012 in the High Court as the then officials failed to engage the best counsel.

He said there was valid ground for the government even now to challenge the High Court judgement in the Apex court. LG Polymers company has been in occupation of around 215 acres, which originally belonged to Simhachalam Devasthanam, but alienated to the then Hindustan Polymers company prior to the introduction of the Urban Land (Ceiling and Regulation) Act, 1976 (ULCA). Under the ULCA, the said land was declared surplus by the State government.

Under the Act, a conditional exemption was granted to the company for a limited period to retain the land, which had been extended from time to time. When the company violated the conditions, the government had proposed to revoke the exemption and take back the land. The company dragged the government into litigation. The government lost the case in 2012 because it was not properly presented before the court, Sarma said.

He said the value of the land under the occupation of LG Polymers would be in several hundreds of crores of rupees and the State could not afford to take it casually  and allow its ownership claim on the land slip away. If the LG Polymers unit was closed down, the government should be in a position to reclaim the land and put it to an appropriate public use, he said. He also urged the government to order an independent investigation so that those responsible for the lapses may be brought to book without any further delay.